New online shopping platforms are popping up everywhere, and buying from stores that haven’t been around for long, like Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, or Shein, can be tricky.
However, unlike most newly launched platforms, Temu, a China-based shopping app, has gained quite a buzz online due to its heavily discounted items. It is now one of America’s most downloaded new apps.
Is the Temu app legit? Why are the prices so low?
Key Takeaways
- Temu is an online marketplace with a consumer-to-manufacturing selling model that offers rock-bottom prices with tempting deals and promotions.
- Temu offers free delivery, safe payment options, purchase protections, delivery guarantees, 90-day free return, security, privacy, and intellectual privacy policies.
- There has been a mix of positive and negative reviews about Temu, so it’s best to shop carefully and manage expectations.
What is Temu?
Temu (tee-moo), which means “Team up, Price Down,” is an e-commerce selling platform launched in 2022. It is perfect for those looking to buy something at bargain prices—from shoes, clothing, and jewelry to appliances, tools, electronics, home decor, toys, and anything else.
All Temu items spring from the factories and warehouses of the shopping land of China, Shanghai, through the consumer-to-manufacturing (C2M) model, trying to follow the footsteps of eBay and Amazon. However, unlike Amazon, this online marketplace is smaller than Amazon and does not resell its items; instead, it connects buyers to sellers directly.
With an 11+ million merchant base and 61+ billion annual orders, Temu has captured the hearts of millions of consumers through its free shipping and wholesale prices, which are available anytime and for any quantity.
Why is Temu So Cheap?
Temu claims you can shop like a billionaire – items are super cheap, from item sales up to 90% off, timed lightning deals to free shipping promos, and special coupon bundles. But why is Temu so cheap?
So many factors contribute to why prices on the website or the app are crazy low, and the most discernible reason is their selling model — the dropshipping blueprint. Since Temu lets you connect directly to global suppliers or manufacturers, you transact directly with them through the website, eliminating the mediators, overhead costs, and markups.
Apart from those factors, there is also the aspect of Temu operating online without any stores; the merchandise available on the website is unbranded and produced in bulk quantities, which all help to lower the cost per unit for you. However, it’s important to note that the items still maintain some quality despite this affordability.
Where is Temu Located?
Temu was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2022, acting as their US headquarters, serving the US and Canadian regions. But their official address is in St. Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland.
If there are problems with your ordered products or items, they won’t allow you to use the Ireland address as the return address, but rather the two Canadian warehouses, specifically in North York, Ontario, and North Fraser Way, Burnaby, British Columbia.
At the moment, Temu is now available and operating in various countries as listed below:
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Greece
- Ireland
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Finland
Is Temu Safe and Legit?
Temu acts as the sister-shopping app of the mobile-only marketplace Pinduoduo, owned by the Chinese multinational e-commerce giant PDD Holdings Inc., which caters to Western countries and is slowly expanding worldwide.
Given that the PDD Group is managing Temu, it’s safe to say that they have a strong presence in supply chain, logistics, and sourcing. Providing top-notch products at affordable wholesale prices is their expertise.
Although long-term sustainability is still a question for Temu as a new online shopping platform, Temu is a safe and legitimate app. The company collaborates with manufacturers and suppliers to guarantee the standard of the products offered on the forum.
It has several safety features protecting both the sellers and consumers– safe payment options with PayPal, GPay, Apple Pay, credit/debit cards, security and privacy policies, intellectual property policies, delivery guarantees, 90-day free return, purchase protection, and most importantly, an active customer service/support center.
To ease your doubts, Temu also has a couple of security certifications for their payment systems, including:
- Visa Secure
- Mastercard ID Check
- American Express Safe Key
- Discover ProtectBuy
- JCB J/Secure
- TrustedSite Certified Secure
- PCI DSS Compliant
- Paiement Securise
Moreover, the app is available for download on Google Play Store and Apple Store, making Temu even more legit.
Is Temu Ethical?
Temu has established some ethical business practices like core values, which include the following: empowerment, integrity, inclusion and diversity, and social responsibility. Moreover, they have also committed to environmental sustainability through collaborating with Trees for the Future in Africa.
However, some reports and concerns have been raised about Temu’s need for more operational transparency. These include poor product qualities and authenticity/counterfeit issues, which need to be clarified if labour standards are met for Temu warehouse workers, and hanging questions about failures in data privacy protections.
Since there are US and Canadian expectations that do not align with the company’s standards, some ethics concerns have been highlighted that need further visibility.
Is the Temu Free Gift Legit?
Yes, the Temu free gift is legit and has been testified by several Temu users. The Temu gift, which can be received through the referral program with friends or family, could include Temu products like clothing, accessories, or even gadgets.
Once someone signs up through your referral link within 24 hours and makes a purchase, that will count as one gift for you. Aside from that, to be eligible for the promo, you should be 18 years old and above and be living in the United States.
Be reminded that the availability and conditions of the gift program by Temu may change over time. So, check the official Temu website or app for updated news and announcements.
Is It Safe to Use Your Credit Card on Temu?
Temu offers various payment options, and one is payment through credit cards. The security of using credit cards has been a hot topic among the community of users. While some people have expressed confidence in the safety of using credit cards, others have reported instances where their credit card information was compromised after utilizing Temu.
Considering the security certifications granted by cybersecurity organizations to Temu, the app is generally safe to use for conducting credit card transactions.
Moreover, always remember these few points on using credit cards:
- Don’t give your tax identification number, password, and complete credit card number in an unsecured environment.
- Never use public internet or wifi when making purchases using a credit card
- Before providing your card information, verify the validity of the website or merchant
If you still need to decide whether to use a credit card, remove or edit the card information in your profile and use PayPal instead. It is another excellent alternative to paying with a credit card, known for its extra layer of security.
By implementing these courses of action, you can help protect your credit card information while shopping on Temu or any other online platform.
Temu Reviews and Complaints
Temu is one of the fastest-growing online marketplaces where reviews seem polarized. There are positive reviews about tempting deals, but there have been some complaints about the product’s quality.
Although we can’t take away that there are some exaggerated Temu reviews, it’s still best to analyze all positive and negative feedback before trying out the e-commerce platform. Now the question is, Is Temu legit? I’ll present customers’ positive reviews and complaints about Temu and weigh them yourselves.
Positive Reviews on Temu
- Huge, significant savings due to rock-bottom prices and heavily discounted items
- Huge category or catalogue of items
- Fast shipping compared to other apps with international shipping
- Offers free shipping for orders $49 and above
- An easy-to-navigate user interface for a hassle-free shopping experience
- Never-ending sales, coupon offers, and promotions
- Available customer-friendly policies, including the 90-day free return and price adjustment within 30 days
Complaints on Temu
- Poor quality items sold due to very low pricing
- Delayed shipping and damaged items were reported
- Short and limited return policies
- Reports on inconsistencies in inventories
- Poor packaging issues causing damage to items
- The size charts indicated are a little bit inaccurate
Temu Referral Code and Promotions
There are so many options for you to save when purchasing items on Temu, all thanks to sales events, coupons, and promo deals.
Sign up for a new Temu account using the Temu referral code “apj87133” and get a $100 coupon bundle and 50% off as a first download and purchase gift. The promo is for new app users only.
Here’s a look at some of the other promos available at Temu:
- Daily flash sales from 50-90% off
- Special or periodic holiday sales
- Coupon codes available
- Available bulk order discounts
- Free shipping for orders above $49
- Possible discount codes when signing up for the Temu email newsletter
To be updated with the latest promotions, follow Temu on their social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
Should You Shop on Temu?
Although Temu is still on the bridge of gaining its reputation as one of the most reliable e-commerce platforms, there are still reservations with this app, resulting in the question, Should you shop on Temu?
Yes, Temu offers low prices and fast shipping, but there have been customer service, quality control, and counterfeit problems. With this in mind, always do transactions with caution and manage your expectations.
If the affordable prices have convinced you, you may want to give Temu a shot. However, being cautious about risks such as quality and reliability is essential. Start by reading reviews first and testing out low-priced items on the platform.
FAQs
Temu and Shein differ in product categories and seller models, but the same in company origin, China. Temu has a broader range of products listed than Shein’s men’s and women’s fashion; Temu doesn’t own any of its products, while Shein sells its own branded products.
Temu is an e-commerce marketplace owned by a giant Chinese company, Pinduoduo. While it is a Chinese-owned business, its primary target consumers are worldwide, mainly in the US region.
Temu operates as an online marketplace, earning its money mainly from commissions on sales made by sellers using its platform. Additionally, Temu generates revenue through shipping charges, advertising fees paid by sellers, membership fees, and payment processing.
Expect to receive ordered items from Temu within 8-25 days, which is their standard shipping. Most orders under standard shipping are free of charge, and you may track them every step of the way.
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